I don’t know what it is, but things seem to come in waves. I’ve had the opportunity to pull out my improvisation skills a whole bunch lately for multiple auditions and a feature film!
(Did you know I trained at Second City Chicago and UCB in LA; and have extensive sketch experience: writing, producing, acting with online sketch group onewordnocaps and BuzzFeed; and was featured on WhoHaHa?)
Most recently I got to work on a feature film written/directed by my pal from onewordnocaps, Vinnie Duyck. This improv-heavy film is done mockumentary-style and I, for one, am dying to see it. Can’t wait to share more.
I feel so grateful that I’ve been asked to brush off these skills so often this month. It’s made work time oh-so fun!
I’m not going to bury the lede. I’ve got a new commercial voiceover demo!
It’s been a pretty slow year in the on-camera world. Everyone’s feeling the post-strike contraction. So I decided to use this time to polish up another facet of my business. Voiceover! (That’s Voice Acting — just what it sounds like, for my non-industry readers. 🙂
I had a blast working on this- writing spots for some of my favorite brands, then recording, mixing, and editing with the help and guidance of Michelle Campbell.
With a professional booth, recording gear, software, and this shiny new commercial voiceover demo, I am excited to expand my acting opportunities!
I know so many actors who worked on this show and have heard nothing but positive experiences. For my part, I was thrilled and grateful to be directed by Josh Brolin, who was incredibly kind and welcoming. During a turnaround, he chatted with me in the cast chairs about living in California and New Mexico, our families, and season 2. May we get to work together again soon!
Many thanks to The O’ Agency, my managers at Dream Talent, and casting director Kiira Arai for being in my corner.
Winner of Best Comedy Short in the Los Angeles International Short Film Festival and Best Comedy Short in the Toronto International Women’s Film Festival, I had the pleasure of acting in The Other V Word, a hilarious and timely film. Directed by Kristin Goodman and with an outstanding ensemble of funny folks, this comedy short follows couples navigating sex and birth control. (Anyone wanna guess what the other V word is?)
First off, congratulations to all who survived the writer’s and actor’s strikes. A huge thank you to the negotiating committees, strike captains, and every single person who held the line during this incredibly tough year. May this new chapter be a good one.
As we all rush back to work, even during the holiday season, I hope you can find a moment to breathe and hug yourself. Pending ratification of the SAG-AFTRA contract, We. Are. Through.
A couple of highlights I’m now able to share here:
My character Ms. Allegra made another appearance on Nickelodeon’s The Really Loud House. Check out episode 16, “Spelling and Doorbelling”.
I booked a role on an Amazon Prime sci-fi western. More details to come.
This was such a fun project to work on, an ensemble comedy that meant I got to play with so many funny people both in front of and behind the camera, led by our awesome writer/director and funny-people collector, Kristin Goodman. I can’t wait to see it – and all the other amazing NM shorts – on the big screen.
Oh my lawd, I won! Finally determined to focus on how to pitch a TV show, I submitted myself to AFMX’s pitching competition. Nothing like a deadline to motivate, right?
In September, I found out that I was one of five semi-finalists chosen to pitch my project, a half-hour comedy series, in front of an audience and a panel of industry professionals at @AFMX. I worked to polish that thing and learn new skills and then on Oct 1st, I pitched my project live at the Historic Lobo Theater stage.
It was new and scary (and stressful! – lol) l but I am really proud of how I did. I rolled with the unexpected things they threw at me, like – surprise – asking me to sing before I started my pitch! It felt like a major personal win in terms of facing my fears and pushing myself to do something new. And then…
I won first place!
Had to go up there and give an acceptance speech and everything! It was unreal and very encouraging.
I am so proud, so exhausted, and very very grateful for the opportunity. Thank you everyone for your support leading up to this. It meant a whole lot.
I had the pleasure of acting in this hilarious and relevant short film a while back. Now is your chance to check it out from wherever you are in the world! The Other V Word, written and directed by Kristin Goodman, is a hilarious ensemble piece that playfully examines who carries the burden of birth control in heterosexual relationships.
Hey you…. Its February. How’s that resolution coming?
If you set a New Year’s Resolution for 2023 and are feeling discouraged, I invite you to join me. If you skipped the resolution altogether this year because you’re so focused on survival and just can’t, come with me.
I’d like to lead you somewhere a bit more gentle, a bit more sustainable, and a bit more loving. This year, let’s focus on rhythms, not resolutions.
Resolutions, especially the traditional ones, are big tough goals that often come with a dose of shame beneath them. (I’m looking at you, weight loss industry.)
Rhythms, on the other hand, bring to mind nature, the seasons, and the sun’s daily rise and fall. Think music. Dance. Swaying to a beat. Your own beat.
Social Emotional Learning. You’ve probably heard of it. It’s a major buzzword these days and for good reason. SEL includes learning about our feelings: how to recognize them, how to manage them, and how to notice them in others. A hugely important social and life skill, SEL is finally being recognized and addressed in schools.
In our family, we’ve made sure it’s a big part of our home teaching as well. My kids watched Daniel Tiger, and we fill our bookshelves with books about naming and recognizing feelings.
We talk a great game.
“All feelings are normal. All feelings are human. And all feelings belong and can be worked with.”
But as an adult, I’ve found the hardest part is practicing what we preach. I don’t know about you, but I have a tendency to bottle up all “bad” feelings–sadness, anger, embarrassment–until I can be alone.
Crying in the bathroom anyone?
It’s a natural instinct and not necessarily a bad one. Clearly, we don’t want all our anger exploding all over our children. But what if our kids could watch us work through some of these feelings, could actually see their grown-ups process . . . say . . . sadness?
When my daughter was just under two, I broke down crying in front of her one day. It wasn’t anything dramatic that caused it. I was just overwhelmed. She stood close to me, looked at the tears on my face, and said “mama sad.”
this shiny new commercial voiceover demo, I am excited to expand my acting opportunities!
